Marcus Rojas


Marcus Rojas is an American tubist from New York City.

Early life

Rojas was born in New York City on February 23, 1963, and grew up in Red Hook, Brooklyn. His early influences included Eddie Palmieri, Willie Colón, and uncles who played percussion and trombone. He began on trombone at elementary school, then changed to tuba in junior high school. At age 15, Rojas began lessons with tubist Samuel Pilafian. He went on to attend the High School of Music & Art in New York, and studied further at the New England Conservatory.

Career

"After graduation, he moved back to New York and started to work with a wide variety of musicians in different settings, including bassist Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra, composer-saxophonist Henry Threadgill's Very Very Circus, trumpeter Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy." He has played in the orchestras of the Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Ballet.
Rojas formed the trio Spanish Fly with Steven Bernstein and David Tronzo in 1989. He has also worked with the American Symphony Orchestra, Foetus, Sly & Robbie, and John Zorn.
He has taught at New York University, State University of New York at Purchase, and Brooklyn College.

Discography

As co-leader

With Bob Belden
  • 1991 Straight to My Heart: The Music of Sting
  • 2001 Black Dahlia
With David Byrne
  • 1994 David Byrne
  • 2012 Love This Giant
With Thomas Chapin
  • 1992 Insomnia
  • 1999 Alive
With Dave Douglas
  • Mountain Passages
  • Spirit Moves
  • United Front: Brass Ecstasy at Newport
  • Rare Metal
With Spanish Fly
  • 1994 Rags to Britches
  • 1996 Fly by Night
With Sting
With They Might Be Giants
  • 2004 Indestructible Object
  • 2011 Album Raises New And Troubling Questions
With Henry Threadgill
With Loudon Wainwright III
  • 2009 High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project
  • 2012 Older Than My Old Man Now
With Victor Wooten
  • 2012 Sword & Stone
  • 2012 Words & Tones
With John Zorn
With others